The great Saint of
Maharashtra - Sant Eknath Maharaj
Pranams at the lotus feet
of Eknath Maharaj!
Chapter – 9
Once a young guy appeared
from nowhere and requested Sant Eknath that he wanted to engage in his service
and stay in his house. Eknathji happily
agreed to the request of Srikandya and asked him to assist his wife Girija in
her household works. He sincerely
performed all the tasks of the house, cooking meals, cleaning the house, taking
care of the guests arrived in the home, etc..
In this way, he relentlessly served Sant Eknath and his wife Girija.
Once Sant Eknath was
invited to have a meal in the house of a lower caste man Rano was readily accepted and promised to be there in his home for lunch. The Brahmins of the Paitan were in a rage,
they decided to take this opportunity to disgrace and expel Eknath Maharaj from their society. On that day, Eknath Maharaj left home early, Srikandya
asked Ma Girija “ Ayi Sahib, why you did not stop Maharaj from visiting the house of a
lower caste fellow for lunch?” Ma Girija
said, “ A person will not become superior by Varnna, he is considered as
superior with his Karma, a person is considered as Bhramin or Shudra with his
deeds.” Srikandya said “ No Ayi Sahib,
how can he leave to a lower caste guy’s home without performing Bhajans in the
shrine?” Ma Girija said, “ Sri Kandya,
purity of heart needs in all actions, any deed performed without the purity of
heart is considered as fruitless.”
Srikandya took the form of Sant Eknath and played Bhajans and Keerthans,
while Maharaj was taking the meal from the lower caste house. Later, a Saint from Kashi visited Paitan at the instruction of Goddess Rukmini to
meet Srikandya who is supreme Lord Panduranga serving his staunch devotee Eknath. Sri Kandya understood
the Saint's intention to reveal his identity before Sant Eknath, he immediately
disappeared from Paitan. Finally,
Eknath Maharaj came to know that it was Sri Panduraga served him in the form of
Srikandya in his home, he and Girija wept bitterly; they both were grieved over
the separation from Srikandya. The couple spends days of extreme pain and agony, finally got Dharshan of Lord Panduranga.
